Abstract

The strengthening El Nino is likely to cause a dent in the Indian oil sardine stock along the Kerala coast, leading to a substantial drop in the catch in the coming years. EM Abdussamad, Principal Scientist at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, said El Nino has been seriously influencing the growth and reproduction of oil sardine resources and it has been noted that sardine used to migrate from Kerala waters to other coasts during the El Nino years. The Indian oil sardine is a sensitive pelagic fish whose biological cycle will easily be upset even due to slight differences in ocean ecosystem. The impact of El Nino is more evident along the Kerala coast than other areas of the country. Hence, the fluctuation in oil sardine catch is always high along the south-west coast, he said.